Death is just the beginning, so says the title of Nuclear Blast’s compilation series. In the case of The Goregrowler’s Ball 5, death was just the beginning on Friday. Once Sunday, the third and final day of the fest arrived, many were feeling death was never ending. After three days of having one’s body blasted by the hardest, fastest and loudest music known to man, a headache or two afflicted more than one of the band members and ticket purchasers. Due to little seating, the vendors claimed most of the seating inside, many found a curb or fence to rest their ailing backs and feet.

Those taking in all three days were not about to give in to their fatigue, though. While just about everyone took occasional retreats to the parking lot to recharge at their cars (and party), most third-day attendees hung in to the very end. These metal warriors conjured the strength to bang bodies (even after massive bruising) one more time during Suffocation’s closing set.

Unfortunately, the number of purchases at the door was significantly less than the first two days. Hirax and Brutal Truth made climatic performances. Even before taking in our first act of the day, The Goregrowler’s Ball lone stoner/doom band, Pill Crusher, we felt something was amiss. According to a post on promoter Aaron Mendiola’s Facebook page, Sunday continued the trend of the previous days with a headcount fewer than 100 paying customers. The number of band members, vendors and sponsors gave the false impression of more money being exchanged. Because of the poor turn out, bands weren’t paid, a custom guitar was taken away from its raffle and raffle ticket holders weren’t refunded their money, and bands cancelled. More...